Trump Targets Nancy Pelosi by Name While Pushing Stop Insider Trading Act; Warren’s Ovation and Chaotic Chamber Moments Loom Large

President Trump used his State of the Union address to press for passage of the Stop Insider Trading Act and to call out congressional stock trading, taking a direct jab at nancy pelosi when he questioned whether she stood to applaud the proposal. The exchange highlighted long-running disputes over congressional trading, drew an unexpected standing ovation from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and produced multiple interruptions and ejections on the House floor.

Stop Insider Trading Act: What the president urged

Trump urged Congress to "pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay, " saying, in his remarks, "Let’s also ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information. " Members of both parties stood in response, prompting the president to comment further that he could not believe they had stood and to single out nancy pelosi by name, saying he doubted she had stood.

The measure identified in the address was introduced by Rep. Bryan Steil. The bill would ban members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children from purchasing publicly traded stocks, and would require advance public notice before any sale, aiming to go beyond the 2012 STOCK Act’s reporting requirements. Coverage from the evening also described the bill as one that would bar lawmakers, their spouses and dependent children from buying publicly traded stocks and that it mandates a seven-day public notice before selling a stock.

The Stop Insider Trading Act has cleared a House committee and is awaiting a full vote in the lower chamber.

Nancy Pelosi Reaction and Chamber Dynamics

nancy pelosi, the retiring former House speaker, was directly targeted by the president’s dig. The address captured a visible reaction from her: she glared after the broadside, sat beside Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif. ) and was seen taking notes during the speech. Republicans have long needled her over well-timed trades allegedly connected to her husband, and the Pelosi family’s financial disclosures have frequently been cited by critics calling for stricter limits on congressional stock trading.

Pelosi’s wealth was noted in the coverage of the speech, which stated she has a net worth of more than $269 million, making the retiring representative one of the wealthiest lawmakers in Congress.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s Ovation and Democratic Responses

One striking visual was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass. ) rising to give a standing ovation when the president urged passage of the Stop Insider Trading Act. Warren, described as one of Trump’s fiercest critics in the Senate, has long backed similar legislation. Other Democrats also stood in applause for the measure, drawing notice from the president in the chamber.

For the most part, Democrats were described as sitting through the address in distress and rarely applauding, though the president did receive occasional applause during portions of the speech, including when he warned that Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

Interruptions, Ejections and Other Disruptions

The State of the Union included repeated interruptions. Several Democrats, including Reps. Al Green (D-Texas), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn. ) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich. ), interrupted the speech. For the second year in a row, Rep. Al Green was ejected from the House chamber; this time he was removed for waving a sign that read, "Black People Aren’t Apes!" in a jab linked to the president’s recent social platform posting troubles. Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib left early after repeatedly heckling the address.

Separately, a Democratic representative identified himself as one of this year’s State of the Union designated survivors.

Social Media and Commentariat Reactions

The moment targeting nancy pelosi drew immediate attention on social media. Contributor Guy Benson posted a short reaction calling out the moment as a Pelosi "ad lib. " Columnist Josh Hammer reacted with shorthand laughter at the president’s callout, and Managing Editor Curtis Houck posted online that the moment was a comedic highlight. A news outlet reached out to Pelosi’s office for comment during coverage of the speech.

Other Policy Notes from the Address

Beyond the stock-trading callout, the president announced a retirement savings proposal intended to help workers without access to employer matching. He proposed that the federal government would match contributions up to $1, 000 a year so more Americans could benefit from market gains.

Reporter Andrew Mark Miller and contributor Morgan Phillips were listed as contributors to coverage of the speech. A photo caption in the coverage noted that Rep. Nancy Pelosi had spoken at a news conference about the sentencing ruling in the Hong Kong 47 case on Nov. 19, 2024, in front of the U. S. Capitol, an item that appeared alongside reporting of the State of the Union events.

Details from the address reflect an intersection of policy proposals, long-standing feuds, and sharply divided chamber reactions, with the Stop Insider Trading Act and the spotlight on congressional trading set to remain a live issue as the bill moves toward a potential floor vote.